TOM PURDIE'S MUCKLE FISH 207 



slight curve, the convex part being the outermost 

 in throwing : a rope made of goats' hair, called 

 " the lyams," is fastened to the top bar of the spear 

 just above the shortest prong ; this rope is about 

 twelve yards long, and is tied to the arm of the 

 thrower. The spear is cast like a javelin ; and, if 

 thrown by a skilful hand, the top of the shaft, after 

 it has pierced the fish, falls beyond the vertical 

 point towards the opposite bank of the river ; then 

 the fish is pulled to land by means of the aforesaid 

 rope or lyams, so that there is little chance of his 

 escaping in his struggles for freedom. 



The accompanying engraving represents the iron 

 of the clodding waster ; that in general use will be 

 given hereafter. 



Now for Tom Purdie. I should miss the nice 

 points of his character were I to deprive him of 

 his own peculiar way of communicating his feats, 

 though it is but too true that when he got upon a 

 favourite subject he was most inhumanly elastic. 



TOM PURDIES MUCKLE FISH 



" While I was with Mr. Anderson, and shepherd 

 at West Bold, one Sunday," says Tom, " I didna 

 go up to Traquair to the kirk, but took a walk by 

 the river side ; there were a vast o' fish in the 

 water, and I saw ane or twae great roeners turning, 

 a sure sign there were mickle kippers too. I had 

 dandered down to near the burn-fit, and had a pair 

 of good stilts aye lying there. My first wife was 

 then a lass, and lived at Caberston ; and the stilts 

 were ready to cross the water at an orra time. I 



